SEASON X

"Students participate in unconventional sport" by Lindsay Bedford, University Star.

With the tagline “pedestrian football is outdated,” the San Marcos Unicycle Football League is anything but conventional.

Alumnus Marcus Garland founded the league in 2008. He said it is the only league of its kind in the world. Garland said his decision to train people to ride unicycles was a jumping-off point for the creation of the game.

The game is played as a mixture of flag and traditional American football, said Stephen Ramirez, quarterback for the Harvey Street Herons.

Players use a traditional football and have the same positions seen in a game of American football. Each player has flags and is able to swat away other players or tackle them to the ground, making it a full-contact sport.

Garland created two teams who would play against each other in weekly games. The league has since evolved to host eight teams, who play a total of 56 games culminating with the championship game dubbed the “Stupor Bowl”.

Now, in its ninth season, the league has been featured on the Huffington Post, CNN and ESPN, thanks to a YouTube clip filmed by a player that went viral.

An estimated 150-250 people attend the weekly games. The Stupor Bowl sees a crowd approximately double that amount, and counts the mayor of San Marcos among its attendees, according to the league’s website. “It’s a community-oriented event where different types of individuals can come together,” said Dane Walter, wide receiver and safety for the Ill Eagles. The league features its own brand of “jeerleaders” known as the Unibrawdz, bucking the institution of traditional cheerleading.Some of their duties include provoking the crowd and holding—or actually becoming—goal posts. The women will taunt the players during the game.However, the sport is not dangerous for just its participants.“Stay away from the sidelines unless you want get hit or fallen on,” said Jackson Turney, a frequent spectator. Players hurdle, body-slam and flip over others, often sending unicycles and athletes flying. Injuries on both sides of the lines are a common sight.The league is unique in that they are the only group of people allowed to have alcoholic beverages on city property during games. The Unibrawdz are often spotted bringing the injured players a cup of beer, known as a “second-aide kit.”

Membership in the league is open to anyone, Garland said. Participants are not required to know how to ride a unicycle, and teammates will train willing participants, including Texas State students and teachers.